People often have problems balancing life and work. Working long hours, even when we enjoy what we do, is proven to damage our health; this also means that ‘our labour can’t reproduce itself’. Put simply, we have no time to rest and we have no time to brush up on, and develop new, knowledge and skills.
Conversely, when we don’t work enough life and having fun can become hard work.
Resolving the balance between your life and your work by work becoming your life is probably the wrong way to go. Why not try to make life your work?
Three more words: Take a Vacation!!
Especially Americans! We need to take more vacation. I just went HERE and let me tell you, getting away from my job and blogging for a week really helped me de-stress and my brain is feeling refreshed and ready for new challenges. I highly recommend a good vacation with no computer or phone so you can truly “unplug”…
@Neo: Good to hear that you had a good break. We are off skiing in February and I am so looking forward to it. Day to day balance is important as well.
The best way to get true work/life balance is to get out of the rat race at soon as possible. Financial Independence is the only real way to guarantee yourself balance.
@MUM: Only partially correct, I believe. Very often what robs us of balance if not the pressure that our employers may place on us but how wer respond to it. During my sabbatical, I realised that I am someone who pushes hard and unless I tame this I risk getting ill; rat race or not.
I do think that trying to find some semblance of balance is important, but balance means different things for different people. Perhaps, what’s most important is that you recognize that you can’t just focus on only one aspect of life without creating a deficiency in other areas.
@Roshawn: Agree! Preoccupation with one area of life take away the issue of balance completely. But balance as paying attention to variety of areas irrespective of where the balancing point is, is important.
Yes make life your work… not your kids 😀
@Jai: Make you life your work and your kids part of your life :).